Album Re-releases/Deluxe Editions/Special Editions/ Repackages..etc...

PopPrince89

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Though the concept and release of re-released albums may piss off some fans, to the artists benefit, they most of the time seem like a good idea and usually succeed.. Actually, maybe not so much the album itself but the singles they release of of the new editions of their albums. I just observed a trend with pop artists that re-release their already successful albums and find even more success in doing so.

Examples:
- Usher "Confessions: Special Edition" - the newly recorded "My Boo" w/ ALica Keys was #1 on the charts

- Mariah Carey "Emancipation of Mimi: Deluxe/Platinum Edition" - the newly recorded "Dont Forget About Us" reached number (making it her 17th number 1 and tieing her with Elvis for most number 1s)

- Rihanna "Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded" - "Take A Bow" reached number 1 and also set records

- Beyonce "B'Day: Deluxe Edition" - "Beautiful Liar" with Shakira skyrocketed to #3. One of the highest jumps on the Hot 100.

- Chris Brown "Exclusive: Forever Edition" - "Forever" currently sits at #2 on the Hot 100

- Jessica Simpson "In This Skin: Re-release" - The single "With You" became her biggest hit yet

Anyone see a pattern???? maybe this method really works and keeps their albums releavant long enough to be considered one of the greatest albums theyve produced.
 
I used to hate it when one of my favourite artist's did that with an album but I can understand the plus sides to it. I don't hate it so much now however, because you now have the option of downloading the new songs- where as you used to buy the disc and then be thinking how do i get the extra songs without buying all the single cds-which were a pain because you used to have to keep swapping the discs in your cd player lol I don't know whether its right though because i just think shouldn't you be trying to make the best album possible? It is planned that the artist will release the album then in a few weeks release the album again with the extra songs. I understand that they do it to as an extra push to the album to keep it relevant but I don't understand why they should have to do it. Seems a bit like a money making scheme-the fans buy the album when its first released then-as stupid as it is sometimes they want to buy the album again just for the extra songs and artwork. I know the download option is available but I still like to have the disc with them on. Maybe I'm just fussy.

I think what I'm trying to say is the artist should make the best album they can to start with so they don't need to rerelease and make money out of their fans. Artists didn't do that in the past so why do they need to now maybe feeding us what they class as the worst songs they have made or maybe we should all wait before buying an album when its released and wait maybe a few weeks or 2 months down the line because so many artists rerelease their album. Just alittle annoying.
 
it's tacky and cheap and those albums aren't classics. they sell alot of records true and have hits and videos,but which one of those are classics again? also all you get is maybe 2-3 extra cuts which at most are cute but not memorable because if they were they would have made the album in the first place.

i say the album gotta be at least 5 years old to do that kind of mess. they gotta be a album that earned that re-release tag not something tacky just to stick a song or two on with a remix. that is tacky and thank goodness for being able to buy a track as to having to pay 10-20 dollars all over again.
 
i use to hate but..lookin @ it from the business side its a great idea...and it adds on sales to the album lol
 
It pisses me off sometimes, but not when they're re-releasing it with a remastered sound. An example of this is the band Genesis, who just remastered their whole catalogue, and the remasters sound so much better than the originals, that I've thrown out the older versions.

However, when it's Thriller being released for the 100th time and with the same quality, that tends to get on my nerves a bit.
 
I think it depends on the quality (improvement through remastering) and on the new/extra/special material.

U2 released their Joshua Tree Anniversary Edition last year and it was a HUGE improvement compared to the original album, plus the album came in a deluxe boxset with unreleased stuff, b-sides and a previously unreleased concert dvd, plus photos and writings from band members and other people. They also re-released their first three albums from the early 80s some months ago, all three of them came in box sets with extra material and with digitally remasterd albums. U2 fans, who are usually very critical of everything the band does, embraced the releases almost in unison and found most of the material great.

I think if artists release something like this, there has to be a real improvement and additional, unreleased and/or special material. Plus I only think it makes sense if the original albums are classics and at least 10-15 years old. The artists are trying to make their older music available for a new generation of fans, which is understandable.

I like releases like that more than the same old Best Of Compliations.
 
Depeche Mode has also re-released all of their albums with remastered sound, with added b-sides that were with singles from the particular album, and a DVD with comments and videos. There was also The Beatles "Yellow Submarine" album from a few years ago. The songs were remixed into full stereo, and the George Martin score songs were dumped and replaced with all of the Beatle songs that were in the film, and not just the songs that were specifically recorded for it like the original album.
 
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From Genesis To Revelation

It pisses me off sometimes, but not when they're re-releasing it with a remastered sound. An example of this is the band Genesis, who just remastered their whole catalogue, and the remasters sound so much better than the originals, that I've thrown out the older versions.

However, when it's Thriller being released for the 100th time and with the same quality, that tends to get on my nerves a bit.
It's too bad the 1st album from 1969 wasn't redone and included, but I don't think the band owns the master tapes to that one.
 
If its a very old album with poorer sound quality then i agree.The Van Halen remasters were amazing but the recent trend of adding one extra song and 5 remixes like 6 months after the original album came out is a rip off.
 
Buzzin' The Blues - The Complete Slim Harpo

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Slim Harpo: Buzzin' The Blues - The Complete Slim Harpo 5CD Boxset + BOOK

The complete works of one of the masters of Louisiana 'swamp blues' and 'swamp pop.'
Five CDs containing 142 tracks and a 104 page book with many rare photographs and
illustrations.

CDs 1 and 2 hold all Slim Harpo's Excello label 45s and original album tracks.
CDs 3 and 4 have all the recordings unissued in Harpo's lifetime and all the alternative takes of issued songs.
CD 5 features alive recording made in 1961, one of the very earliest to capture an original and important blues artist in their prime.

There are four previously unissued live songs and one previously unknown song.
 
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Earlier this year, it was revealed that both Prince’s self-titled record and For You were being reissued by Warner Brothers. Given his tragic passing, I was unsure if the possible reissue campaign would continue, but I’m seeing several listings that indicate they’re moving on with it. You can see the listings below, along with purchase links and released dates.


  • Around The World In A Day
    June 21st
    Amazon
  • Under The Cherry Moon OST
    July 19th
    Amazon
  • Sign O The Times
    August 23rd
    Amazon
  • The Black Album
    September 20th
    Amazon
  • Batman OST
    October 18th
    Amazon
  • Lovesexy
    October 18th
    Amazon
  • Prince and The New Power Generation — Diamonds and Pearls
    November 22nd
    Elusive Disc
  • Graffiti Bridge OST
    November 22nd/2xLP Reissue
    Amazon
  • The Love Symbol
    December 13th
    Amazon
  • Come
    December 13th
    Amazon
 
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George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice 25 (2-CD, 3-CD/1-DVD, or 1 Vinyl)
release date: November 11, 2016

Listen Without Prejudice 25 is being released in several formats. The biggest is a 3-CD/1 DVD box set. The first CD contains a remastered version of the original album. The second disc is the CD premiere of Michael’s MTV Unplugged concert from October 1996 at Three Mills Studio in London. CD 3 contains remixes, edits and b-sides from the era. The DVD contains the two music videos from the album, a performance of “Freedom! 90” from MTV’s 10th Anniversary special and Listen Without Prejudice Southbank Show Special. The box also contains a 36-page booklet with “liner notes, photos and memorabilia from George’s personal archive.” There will also be a 2-CD edition with the remastered album and the MTV Unplugged concert and a vinyl edition of just the remastered album. A digital version will also be available.


CD 1 Listen Without Prejudice remastered
1. Praying for Time
2. Freedom! ’90
3. They Won’t Go When I Go
4. Something to Save
5. Cowboys and Angels
6. Waiting for That Day
7. Mothers Pride
8. Heal the Pain
9. Soul Free
10. Waiting (Reprise)

CD 2 – MTV Unplugged
1. Freedom! ’90
2. Fastlove
3. I Can’t Make You Love Me
4. Father Figure
5. You Have Been Loved
6. Everything She Wants
7. The Strangest Thing
8. Older
9. Star People
10. Praying for Time

CD3: B-Sides And Mixes (super deluxe only)
1. Soul Free (Special Radio Edit)
2. Freedom! ’90 (Back To Reality Mix)
3. Freedom! ’90 (Back To Reality Mix Edit)
4. Fantasy ’90
5. Freedom! ’90 (Edit)
6. Cowboys and Angels (Edit)
7. If You Were My Woman
8. Too Funky (Edit)
9. Crazyman Dance
10. Do You Really Want to Know
11. Happy
12. Too Funky (Extended)
13. Too Jazzy (Happy Mix)
14. Fantasy ’98
15. Heal the Pain – George Michael with Paul McCartney
16. Desafinado – George Michael with Astrud Gilberto

Disc: 4 – DVD (super deluxe only)
1. The South Bank Show 1990
2. Freedom! ’90
3. Praying for Time
4. Freedom! ’90 (MTV 10th anniversary)
 
DuranDuran;4170675 said:
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George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice 25 (2-CD, 3-CD/1-DVD, or 1 Vinyl)
release date: November 11, 2016

Listen Without Prejudice 25 is being released in several formats. The biggest is a 3-CD/1 DVD box set. The first CD contains a remastered version of the original album. The second disc is the CD premiere of Michael’s MTV Unplugged concert from October 1996 at Three Mills Studio in London. CD 3 contains remixes, edits and b-sides from the era. The DVD contains the two music videos from the album, a performance of “Freedom! 90” from MTV’s 10th Anniversary special and Listen Without Prejudice Southbank Show Special. The box also contains a 36-page booklet with “liner notes, photos and memorabilia from George’s personal archive.” There will also be a 2-CD edition with the remastered album and the MTV Unplugged concert and a vinyl edition of just the remastered album. A digital version will also be available.


CD 1 Listen Without Prejudice remastered
1. Praying for Time
2. Freedom! ’90
3. They Won’t Go When I Go
4. Something to Save
5. Cowboys and Angels
6. Waiting for That Day
7. Mothers Pride
8. Heal the Pain
9. Soul Free
10. Waiting (Reprise)

CD 2 – MTV Unplugged
1. Freedom! ’90
2. Fastlove
3. I Can’t Make You Love Me
4. Father Figure
5. You Have Been Loved
6. Everything She Wants
7. The Strangest Thing
8. Older
9. Star People
10. Praying for Time

CD3: B-Sides And Mixes (super deluxe only)
1. Soul Free (Special Radio Edit)
2. Freedom! ’90 (Back To Reality Mix)
3. Freedom! ’90 (Back To Reality Mix Edit)
4. Fantasy ’90
5. Freedom! ’90 (Edit)
6. Cowboys and Angels (Edit)
7. If You Were My Woman
8. Too Funky (Edit)
9. Crazyman Dance
10. Do You Really Want to Know
11. Happy
12. Too Funky (Extended)
13. Too Jazzy (Happy Mix)
14. Fantasy ’98
15. Heal the Pain – George Michael with Paul McCartney
16. Desafinado – George Michael with Astrud Gilberto

Disc: 4 – DVD (super deluxe only)
1. The South Bank Show 1990
2. Freedom! ’90
3. Praying for Time
4. Freedom! ’90 (MTV 10th anniversary)

Thanks for this. I've been looking for full track listing.

The Unplugged performance is my favourite of all time although the listing here is in slightly different order. He finished with Star People and Older and The Strangest Thing weren't televised at the time.

I hope they release that separately, I only have a bootleg of it.
 
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Legacy Recordings, home to definitive releases by the world’s foremost recording artists including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley, Pink Floyd and Miles Davis, proudly presents Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of “Weird Al” Yankovic, a career-spanning box set of all fourteen of Al’s studio albums, remastered for CD and 150-gram vinyl, and lavishly housed in an exact replica of the artist’s signature accordion.

In addition to his studio albums, Squeeze Box will also include a special 15th bonus album, Medium Rarities, featuring previously unreleased and non-album tracks selected by Weird Al, plus a 100-page book including a treasure trove of unseen photos and memorabilia.

Squeeze Box will be officially released November 24, 2017, with a long-lead manufacturing time due to its unprecedented custom packaging. Fans have the opportunity to pre-order the box set now to be guaranteed delivery of this historic set, as only a limited number of sets will be manufactured after this pre-sale.

Fans who pre-order here will also gain access to a private section of this site (via the “Access Pass”), where they will be able to enjoy exclusive videos of how Squeeze Box was created and made, factoids of Al’s career, and special video greetings from the master himself.

LIST OF ALBUMS
“Weird Al” Yankovic (1983)
“Weird Al” Yankovic In 3-D (1984)
Dare To Be Stupid (1985)
Polka Party! (1986)
Even Worse (1988)
UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff (1989)
Off The Deep End (1992)
Alapalooza (1993)
Bad Hair Day (1996)
Running With Scissors (1999)
Poodle Hat (2003)
Straight Outta Lynwood (2006)
Alpocalypse (2011)
Mandatory Fun (2014)
Medium Rarities (2017) Exclusive to Box Set
[video=youtube;lrjoAdv44wM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrjoAdv44wM[/video]
 
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RECORD STORE DAY EXCLUSIVE 3-TRACK CASSETTE-ONLY RELEASE

With the Flowers In The Dirt Archive Collection edition’s March 24th release date via MPL/Capitol/UMe fast approaching, Paul McCartney has confirmed a very special Record Store Day exclusive.

To commemorate Record Store Day this April 22nd, a limited edition three-song cassette of Paul and Elvis Costello’s Flowers In The Dirt demos will be made available at participating RSD stores.

The limited edition cassette-only release will be the first time these recordings – ‘I Don’t Want To Confess’, ‘Shallow Grave’ and ‘Mistress And Maid’- will be made available in the same form as when Paul and Elvis first cut them directly to tape.

Speaking about these tracks Paul said: “The demos are red hot off the skillet and that’s why we wanted to include them on this boxed set. What’s great about these songs is that they’ve just been written. So there’s nothing more hot off the skillet as I say. So that was the kind of great instant thing about them. I hadn’t listened to them in ages but when I did I knew we had to put them out. We made a little tape of them and sent them to Elvis, who loved them too. We said we should put out an EP or something and now the moment’s finally arrived.”

There’s nothing as glamorous to me as a record store. When I recently played Amoeba in LA, I realised what fantastic memories such a collection of music brings back when you see it all in one place. This is why I’m more than happy to support Record Store Day and I hope that these kinds of stores will be there for us all for many years to come. Cheers! – Paul McCartney
[video=youtube;4jFfgo2fUrg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jFfgo2fUrg[/video]
Cassette Store Day
Record Store Day
 
By Dave Lifton April 1, 2017 Ultimate Classic Rock
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As reported yesterday, the Beatles appear to be planning to put out an expanded edition of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band on June 1, the 50th anniversary of its original release. While the news has yet to be made official, we’ve learned that Ringo Starr has heard it and is thrilled with the sound.

The news comes via Keith Allison, the former Paul Revere & the Raiders bassist who has worked with Starr. As he wrote on Facebook, he was visiting Starr a couple of months ago when the newly remastered album arrived for Ringo’s approval. Naturally, they put it on. “So what did Ringo think?” Allison wrote. “He thought it was great! Why? Because it originally was recorded on a 4-track with a lot of overdubs, which buried the drums. Now, the drums have been lifted and come through as they should. He was pleased. You’ll be glad to know it was remastered at EMI Studios where it was originally recorded.”

Allison also revealed that Starr told him that he hadn’t listened to the record “in decades.” Still, Starr tweeted the same image that the Beatles’ and George Harrison‘s accounts sent out, of four vertical bars in the same colors and placement as the outfits worn by the group on the album’s cover. “Coming soon peace and love peace and good,” Ringo wrote, adding a handful of emoji.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Coming soon peace and love peace and good &#128526;&#9996;&#65039;&#127775;&#128150;&#127925;&#127926;&#127925;&#127926;&#9774; <a href="https://t.co/ad0PeHQ0bW">pic.twitter.com/ad0PeHQ0bW</a></p>&mdash; #RingoStarr (@ringostarrmusic) <a href="https://twitter.com/ringostarrmusic/status/847920512416104449">March 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Sources within the Beatles’ Apple Corps organization told the Times that the 50th anniversary edition includes “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Penny Lane,” the double A-sided single whose February 1967 release kicked off the Sgt. Pepper era. George Martin was once quoted as saying that the decision to not include those two songs on the record was “a truly terrible mistake.”
 
April 27, 2017 https://www.staxrecords.com
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Los Angeles, CA – Concord Music Group and Rhino Entertainment, Warner Music Group’s catalog division, are proud to announce a joint campaign celebrating the 60th anniversary of iconic soul label, Stax Records. This unique partnership marks the first marketing collaboration of the Stax recordings which have been divided since Atlantic Records split with Stax Records in 1967.

Honoring historic Soulsville, USA in Memphis, TN, curated collections of some of the greatest Stax music will be released on new hits compilations, vinyl LPs, digital hi-resolution remasters and deluxe boxed sets. These releases will showcase timeless Stax hits, plus rare tracks from many of the label’s legendary artists including Otis Redding, Booker T & the MGs, Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, Eddie Floyd, William Bell, Sam & Dave, Albert King, Mable John, The Mad Lads and many more.

The collaboration between Rhino and Concord will kick off with the May 19th launch of the Stax Classics series -- announced exclusively on Rolling Stone (4/26) -- which consists of ten wallet-friendly collections, each highlighting one of the label’s biggest stars with 12 choice tracks and insightful new liner notes. Available on CD and at all digital retailers and streaming services, these albums will celebrate the prolific Stax careers of Otis Redding, William Bell, Johnnie Taylor, Carla Thomas, Booker T & The MGs, The Dramatics, Albert King, Sam & Dave, Isaac Hayes and The Staple Singers.

Throughout the year, both Concord and Rhino will reissue a variety of iconic Stax albums on vinyl, including a 50th anniversary pressing of Otis Redding and Carla Thomas’ King & Queen (Rhino), Melvin Van Peebles’ soundtrack to the groundbreaking Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (Concord), rarity John Gary Williams from The Mad Lads front man (Concord) and Otis Redding’s 1965 classic The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads (Rhino). Also, the forthcoming 4-CD anthology Isaac Hayes: The Spirit of Memphis (1962-1976) will be released in August, 2017 to coincide with the multitalented artist’s 75th birth anniversary. In addition, both labels will collaborate on a three-CD Stax 60th set, plus a new installment in the critically acclaimed Complete Stax Singles boxed set series. Volume Four will focus on the diverse nature of the label’s catalog, featuring singles released not only on Stax and Volt, but also Enterprise, Hip, Chalice, Gospel Truth and more. Both Rhino and Concord will also continue an overhaul of digital releases, re-delivering a handful of popular titles in high-resolution and Mastered for iTunes formats, as well as making many albums available to streaming and digital services for the first time.

This soulful partnership marks a special moment in history for the label, and both Rhino and Concord are proud to have the opportunity to collaborate after nearly 50 years. “The Stax catalog features some of the greatest and most culturally significant albums and singles of all time and continues to resonate with music fans 60 years later,” says Mark Pinkus, President of Rhino Entertainment. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Concord’s team on a wide array of new releases fitting of such an important moment in the Stax legacy.”

Sig Sigworth, Chief Catalog Officer of Concord Bicycle Music, Concord Music Group’s mother company, also notes that “Stax has a great history of bringing people together—songwriters, musicians, singers and fans from around the world. &#8239;It’s in this same tradition that we are very pleased to work with Mark and his team to bring together both sides of this incredible catalog while celebrating 60 years of Soulsville, USA.”

Founded in 1957 by Memphis banker and fiddle player Jim Stewart, the Memphis label was a labor of love for Stewart, who oversaw operations initially with his sister Estelle Axton and then associate Al Bell. “On the anniversary of Stax Records’ 60th, this Concord/Rhino collaboration signals the beginning of the end of a bitter-sweet relationship between Stax and Atlantic,” says Stewart. “It’s long-overdue and a good omen for the unending popularity of the very best of Memphis Soul music.” “Stax Records,” Mr. Stewart continues, “was my baby. Stax music was and always will be inspirational. I am so pleased that the music we created and recorded at Stax is still being discovered, and it continues to reside in the hearts of devotees everywhere that know the joy and power of ‘real’ music.”

Stewart and Axton, who changed the name of the label from Satellite Records to Stax in 1960, soon had a self-contained soul music powerhouse, complete with its own recording studio, a growing staff of A&R personnel, songwriters, producers, an inimitable house band, as well as Stax Publicist, Deanie Parker, who continues to fortify the legacy of Stax in Soulsville, USA. “Through the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, the label’s rich musical and cultural history can be studied, felt and enjoyed,” Parker offers. “Stax’s iconic hits and artists come to life through students at the Stax Music Academy and live on thanks to The Soulsville Charter School. And now, partners Concord and Rhino are unleashing some of the first R&B songs from the womb of Stax Records—music that we’ve grown up loving for more than half a century. It’s free at last,” Parker adds.

During its 15-year run, Stax released more than 800 singles and nearly 300 LPs, winning eight GRAMMY® Awards, plus an Academy Award along the way. The label placed more than 167 hit songs in the Top 100 pop charts, and a staggering 243 hits in the Top 100 R&B charts. Today, the original site of Stax Records is home to The Soulsville Foundation, which operates the multi-million dollar campus that houses the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, as well as the Stax Music Academy and The Soulsville Charter School, both of which serve primarily at-risk, inner-city youth. The Soulsville Foundation aims to impart the spirit and soul upon which Stax Records was founded: using the power of music and opportunity to shape a young person’s life, rebuild a community and keep valuable history alive forever.
[video=youtube;vRcEVKDx69M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRcEVKDx69M[/video]
 
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American Epic: The Collection
(5 CD box set)

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release AMERICAN EPIC: The Collection, a 5-CD/100 song deluxe box set, and AMERICAN EPIC: The Soundtrack, a single disc anthology of 15 songs featured in the AMERICAN EPIC three-part historical documentary (1LP or 1CD), on Friday, May 12.

AMERICAN EPIC: The Collection and AMERICAN EPIC: The Soundtrack–each available digitally or as physical product–lead the way for a series of releases of music associated with the film series AMERICAN EPIC, produced by Allison McGourty, Duke Erikson and Directed by Bernard MacMahon, premiering in the U.S. on PBS on Tuesdays May 16, 23 and 30 at 9 p.m. (check local listings) and in the U.K. on BBC in May.

The AMERICAN EPIC historical documentaries are a journey back in time to the “Big Bang” of modern popular music.

In the 1920s, as radio took over the pop music business, record companies were forced to leave their studios in major cities in search of new styles and markets. Ranging the mountains, prairies, rural villages, and urban ghettos of America, they discovered a wealth of unexpected talent. The recordings they made of all the ethnic groups of America democratized the nation and gave a voice to everyone. Country singers in the Appalachians, Blues guitarists in the Mississippi Delta, Gospel preachers across the south, Cajun fiddlers in Louisiana, Tejano groups from the Texas Mexico border, Native American drummers in Arizona, and Hawaiian musicians were all recorded. For the first time, a woman picking cotton in Mississippi, a coalminer in Virginia or a tobacco farmer in Tennessee could have their thoughts and feelings heard on records played in living rooms across the country. It was the first time America heard itself.

AMERICAN EPIC: The Collection gathers 100 of these original recordings from the 1920s and 1930s in one five-disc set, restored to unprecedented levels of sonic fidelity. For these releases, compiled by Director Bernard MacMahon, engineer Nicholas Bergh refined a transfer process using a mix of both modern and vintage equipment in order to extract the remarkable resolution from the records that is often missed. This ‘reverse engineering’ approach to the transfer process enabled the restoration team of Grammy Award-winning engineer Peter Henderson, Duke Erikson and Joel Tefteller to get the resulting audio closer to the original performance than ever before.

This is not “remastering,” in the normal sense, but something closer to fine art restoration. The intent is not for people to marvel at the antiquity of these discs, but rather to experience them as vital, immediate performances that speak to us as directly as they did on the day they were recorded—not simply great art for their time, but great art for all times. It includes a 100-page book filled with stunning unpublished photographs, quotes from the artists, their friends and families, lyrics for every song, essays and recording notes. Among the artists included are Mississippi John Hurt, The Carter Family, Charley Patton, Jimmie Rodgers, Lydia Mendoza, Nelstone’s Hawaiians, Big Chief Henry’s String Band, Robert Johnson and many others.

AMERICAN EPIC: The Soundtrack, is a 15 song single disc anthology of songs featured in the AMERICAN EPIC film trilogy. Compiled by Lo-Max Records, it includes restored archival recordings from artists such as Memphis Jug Band, The Carter Family, Charley Patton, Joseph Falcon, Lydia Mendoza and others.

Legacy also will be making available, as digital releases, compilations of artists featured in the AMERICAN EPIC films including, AMERICAN EPIC: The Carter Family, AMERICAN EPIC: Memphis Jug Band, AMERICAN EPIC: Mississippi John Hurt, AMERICAN EPIC: Blind Willie Johnson and AMERICAN EPIC: Lead Belly as well as thematic collections including AMERICAN EPIC: Blues and AMERICAN EPIC: Country.

Columbia Records will release AMERICAN EPIC: The Sessions the soundtrack to “THE AMERICAN EPIC SESSIONS” directed by Bernard MacMahon. In “THE AMERICAN EPIC SESSIONS,” the team has reassembled the very first electrical sound recording system from the 1920s, and invited Jack White and T Bone Burnett to produce an album of recordings by twenty of today’s greatest artists. In this beautifully filmed musical feature, these artists are given the chance to pass through the portal that brought the world into the modern era.

Engineer Nicholas Bergh has reassembled this recording system from original parts and it is now the only one left in the world. The system consists of a single microphone, a towering six-foot amplifier rack, and a live record-cutting lathe, powered by a weight-driven pulley system of clockwork gears. The musicians have roughly three minutes to record their song direct to disc before the weight hits the floor. In the 1920s, they called this “catching lightning in a bottle.” All the musical performances in this film are live. The audio you hear on the soundtrack is taken directly from the discs they were recorded to, with no editing or enhancements.

AMERICAN EPIC: The Sessions, soundtrack features: Alabama Shakes, The Americans, Ana Gabriel, Ashley Monroe, The Avett Brothers, Beck, Bettye LaVette, Bobby Ingano, Elton John, Frank Fairfield, Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton, Los Lobos, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Nas, Pokey LaFarge, Raphael Saadiq, Rhiannon Giddens, Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Taj Mahal, Jack White, and Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard.

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American Epic (DVD / Blu-Ray)

Go inside one of the greatest-ever untold stories: how the ordinary people of America were given the opportunity to make records for the first time.

THE BIG BANG: At the height of the Roaring Twenties, music scouts armed with cutting-edge recording technology set out across America to capture the unsung voices of everyday folk. This is the Big Bang of modern popular music-the first time America hears itself.

BLOOD & SOIL: America's poor-cotton field slaves, mine workers, sharecroppers-find freedom through music, creating gospel, protest songs, and Delta Blues.

OUT OF THE MANY, THE ONE: Exotic cultures spanning America are captured on record for the first time-inventing new instruments and new cultural identities as disparate voices harmonize in a musical melting pot.

THE AMERICAN EPIC SESSIONS: Jack White and T Bone Burnett produce an epic recording session using the only working 1920s recording device in existence in this tribute to the artists celebrated in the documentary. Starring Alabama Shakes, The Americans, Ana Gabriel, Ashley Monroe, The Avett Brothers, Beck, Bettye Lavette, Bobby Ingano, Elton John, Frank Fairfield, Jerron Paxton, Los Lobos, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Nas, Pokey LaFarge, Raphael Saadiq, Rhiannon Giddens, Steve Martin & Edie Brickell, Taj Mahal, Jack White, and Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard.

Companion book - American Epic: The First Time America Heard Itself.
[video=youtube;35ySbl4kzE4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35ySbl4kzE4[/video]
[video=youtube;6opp-AfKsdA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6opp-AfKsdA[/video]

 
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Release date: November 30, 2018

Cherry Red Records are equally delighted and proud to announce the newly remastered and expanded release of Howard Jones’ second album “Dream Into Action”.

Released in March 1985, “Dream Into Action” reached No.2 in the UK Album Charts and achieved Gold Album status. Like its pre-decessor “Human’s Lib”, “Dream Into Action” contained four Top 20 hit singles; ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ reached No.6, ‘Look Mama’ at No. 10, ‘Life In One Day’ at No.14 and ‘No One Is To Blame’ at No.16.

In addition to these four Top 20 Hit singles, the original CD version of “Dream Into Action” also contained a bonus track, namely Howard’s hit single from the previous year – ‘Like To Get To Know You Well’ – which reached No.4 in the Singles Chart.
“Dream Into Action” also enjoyed massive international acclaim and success; particularly in the USA where it reached No.10 in the Billboard Album charts achieving Platinum status. It spawned three Billboard Top 20 hit singles including ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ at No.5, ‘Life In One Day’ at No.19 and a re-recorded version of ‘No One Is To Blame’ featuring Phil Collins on backing vocals and drums (produced by Hugh Padgham), which gave Howard his biggest ever US hit single reaching No.4.

As well as achieving great success in the UK (# 1) and USA, “Dream Into Action” and the various singles taken from it also enjoyed tremendous success internationally in such countries as Canada, New Zealand, Australia and throughout most of Europe.

With the full involvement of the artist, this prestigious album is being re-issued in four remastered formats and this version has the following features:

DISC ONE:

1. THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER
2. LIFE IN ONE DAY
3. DREAM INTO ACTION
4. NO ONE IS TO BLAME
5. LOOK MAMA
6. ASSAULT AND BATTERY
7. AUTOMATON
8. IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?
9. ELEGY
10. SPECIALTY
11. WHY LOOK FOR THE KEY
12. HUNGER FOR THE FLESH
13. BOUNCE RIGHT BACK
14. LIKE TO GET TO KNOW YOU WELL
15. NO ONE IS TO BLAME (REMAKE) *
16. LIKE TO GET TO KNOW YOU WELL (DEMO RECORDED IN HOWARD’S FRONT ROOM) *
17. NO ONE IS TO BLAME (THE LONG MIX) (JANICE LONG BBC SESSION) **

DISC TWO:

1. NO ONE IS TO BLAME (SINGLE MIX)
2. LIKE TO GET TO KNOW YOU WELL (INTERNATIONAL REMIX)
3. THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER (EXTENDED MIX)
4. LOOK MAMA (UK EXTENDED MIX) **
5. LIFE IN ONE DAY PT 1
6. LIFE IN ONE DAY PT 2
7. NO ONE IS TO BLAME (EXTENDED MIX)
8. LEARNING HOW TO LOVE *
9. BOOM BAP RESPITE ***
10. THE CHASE ***
11. NO ONE IS TO BLAME (LAMBS & PLANES MIX) *
12. BOUNCE RIGHT BACK (CAUSE & EFFECT REMIX)

* PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
** PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED DIGITALLY
*** PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED REMASTERED

DISC THREE:

1. NO ONE IS TO BLAME (OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST BROADCAST 29TH JANUARY 1985)
2. THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER (OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST BROADCAST 29TH JANUARY 1985)
3. LOOK MAMA (OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST BROADCAST 29TH JANUARY 1985)
4. THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER (TOP OF THE POPS BROADCAST 21ST FEBRUARY 1985)
5. LOOK MAMA (WOGAN BROADCAST 24TH APRIL 1985)
6. NO ONE IS TO BLAME (WOGAN BROADCAST 7TH MARCH 1986)

PROMO VIDEOS
7. LIKE TO GET TO KNOW YOU WELL (US VERSION)
8. THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER
9. LOOK MAMA
10. LIFE IN ONE DAY
11. NO ONE IS TO BLAME
12. LIFE IN ONE DAY (ALTERNATE BROADCAST VERS.)

DISC FOUR: PICTURE DISC LP

SIDE ONE
1. THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER
2. LIFE IN ONE DAY
3. DREAM INTO ACTION
4. NO ONE IS TO BLAME
5. LOOK MAMA
6. ASSAULT AND BATTERY

SIDE TWO
1. AUTOMATON
2. IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?
3. ELEGY
4. SPECIALTY
5. WHY LOOK FOR THE KEY
6. HUNGER FOR THE FLESH

DISC FIVE: THE FARMYARD SESSIONS PLUS UNRELEASED AND REMASTERED TRACKS

1. THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER (EARLY VERSION) (FARMYARD SESSIONS)*
2. DREAM INTO ACTION (EARLY VERSION) (FARMYARD SESSIONS)*
3. NO ONE IS TO BLAME (EARLY VERSION) (FARMYARD SESSIONS)*
4. LOOK MAMA (EARLY VERSION) (FARMYARD SESSIONS)*
5. ASSAULT & BATTERY (EARLY VERSION) (FARMYARD SESSIONS)*
6. AUTOMATON (ROBOT MAN) (INSTRUMENTAL) (FARMYARD SESSIONS)*
7. IS THERE A DIFFERENCE? (EARLY VERSION) (FARMYARD SESSIONS)*
8. ELEGY (EARLY VERSION) (FARMYARD SESSIONS)*
9. SPECIALTY (EARLY VERSION) (FARMYARD SESSIONS)*
10. WHY LOOK FOR THE KEY? (EARLY VERSION) (FARMYARD SESSIONS)*
11. HUNGER FOR THE FLESH (EARLY VERSION) (FARMYARD SESSIONS)*
12. LIKE TO GET TO KNOW YOU WELL (ALTERNATIVE MIX)***
13. THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER (REMIXED)*
14. NO ONE IS TO BLAME (TV MIX)*
15. THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER (RADIO MIX)*
16. YOU JAZZY NORK!***

* PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
*** PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED REMASTERED

DISC SIX: DVD

LAST WORLD DREAM – LIVE IN CONCERT
1. PEARL IN THE SHELL
2. YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU (DON’T YOU?)
3. LIKE TO GET TO KNOW YOU WELL
4. NO ONE IS TO BLAME
5. LIFE IN ONE DAY
6. LOOK MAMA
7. WILL YOU STILL BE THERE?
8. ALWAYS ASKING QUESTIONS
9. HIDE & SEEK
10. DREAM INTO ACTION
11. WHAT IS LOVE?
12. NEW SONG
13. THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER
 
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Release date: November 30, 2018

Cherry Red Records is both delighted and proud to announce the newly remastered and expanded release of Howard Jones debut album “Human’s Lib”.

Released in March 1984, “Human’s Lib” entered the UK Album Charts at No.1 selling over 100,000 copies in the first week and spending a total of 57 weeks in the chart whilst achieving Double Platinum status with sales in excess of 600,000 copies.
Four songs from this album were released as singles in the UK, all of which reached the Top 20: ‘New Song’ peaked at No.3, ‘What Is Love?’ at No.2, ‘Hide and Seek’ at No.12, and ‘Pearl in the Shell’ at No.7.

As well as achieving great success in the UK, “Human’s Lib” and the various singles taken from it also enjoyed tremendous success internationally in such countries as USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and throughout most of Europe.
With the full involvement of the artist, this prestigious album is being re-issued in four remastered formats and this version has the following features:

THE DELUXE EXPANDED 2CD+DVD SET
12” PICTURE DISC FEATURING THE STEG ORIGINAL ALBUM FRONT COVER ARTWORK
THE WHITE TAPE REPLICA PRE-CONTRACT DEMO CASSETTE CONTAINING REMASTERED VERSIONS OF FOUR ORIGINAL DEMO TRACKS
AN EXTRA BONUS CD CONTAINING FURTHER PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED STUDIO, LIVE AND BBC SESSION AND REMASTERED TRACKS
THE LONG DELETED LIVE IN JAPAN CONCERT RELEASED ON DVD FOR THE FIRST TIME
A REPLICA OF THE ORIGINAL HOWARD JONES FAN CLUB RISK MEMBERSHIP CARD
HUMAN’S LIB ARTWORK LITHOGRAPH
REPLICA OF HUMAN’S LIB 1984 TOUR PROGRAMME
SET OF 5 BUTTON BADGES

DISC ONE:
1. CONDITIONING
2. WHAT IS LOVE?
3. PEARL IN THE SHELL
4. HIDE & SEEK
5. HUNT THE SELF
6. NEW SONG
7. DON’T ALWAYS LOOK AT THE RAIN
8. EQUALITY
9. NATURAL
10. HUMAN’S LIB
11. CHINA DANCE
12. NEW SONG (PORTUGUESE 7&#8243; SINGLE MIX)**
13. WHAT IS LOVE? (ROUGH MIX) *
14. DON’T PUT THESE CURSES ON ME (INSTRUMENTAL) *
15. HUMAN’S LIB (FARMYARD MIX) *
16. PEARL IN THE SHELL (ROUGH MIX) *
17. NEW SONG (MIX TAKE 1) *

DISC TWO:
1. NEW SONG (ALTERNATIVE 12&#8243;)
2. WHAT IS LOVE? (EXTENDED MIX)
3. HIDE & SEEK (EXTENDED VERSION)
4. PEARL IN THE SHELL (US 12&#8243; MIX)
5. CONDITIONING (ORIGINAL MIX)
6. NEW SONG (NEW EXTENDED MIX) *
7. HUNT THE SELF (LIVE AT THE MARQUEE) *
8. BOUNCE RIGHT BACK (INSTRUMENTAL) *
9. TOTAL CONDITIONING *
10. LAW OF THE JUNGLE ***
11. ALWAYS ASKING QUESTIONS (ROUGH MIX) *
12. EQUALITY (ROUGH MIX) *
13. HIDE & SEEK (ROUGH MIX) *

DISC THREE:
1. CONDITIONING (REHEARSAL AT THE GORDON ARMS, HIGH WYCOMBE)
2. HUMAN’S LIB (REHEARSAL AT THE GORDON ARMS, HIGH WYCOMBE)
3. EQUALITY (REHEARSAL AT THE GORDON ARMS, HIGH WYCOMBE)
4. RISK (LIVING ROOM DEMO)
5. DREAMS OF A BETTER PLACE (LIVING ROOM DEMO)
6. LOVE?(LIVING ROOM DEMO)
7. ALWAYS ASKING QUESTIONS (PROMO VIDEO)
8. NEW SONG (TOP OF THE POPS BROADCAST 22ND SEPTEMBER 1983)
9. WHAT IS LOVE? (TOP OF THE POPS BROADCAST 8TH DECEMBER 1983)
10. WHAT IS LOVE? (OXFORD ROAD SHOW BROADCAST ON 6TH JANUARY 1984)
11. HIDE AND SEEK (LIVE)(TOP OF THE POPS BROADCAST 8TH MARCH 1984)
12. EQUALITY (OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST BROADCAST 9TH MARCH 1984)
13. DON’T ALWAYS LOOK AT THE RAIN (OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST BROADCAST 9TH MARCH 1984)
14. PEARL IN THE SHELL (TOP OF THE POPS BROADCAST 7TH JUNE 1984)

PROMO VIDEOS
15. NEW SONG
16. WHAT IS LOVE?
17. HIDE AND SEEK
18. PEARL IN THE SHELL
19. LIKE TO GET TO KNOW YOU WELL (LONDON VERSION)

DISC FOUR: PICTURE DISC LP
SIDE ONE
1. CONDITIONING
2. WHAT IS LOVE?
3. PEARL IN THE SHELL
4. HIDE & SEEK
5. HUNT THE SELF

SIDE TWO
1. NEW SONG
2. DON’T ALWAYS LOOK AT THE RAIN
3. EQUALITY
4. NATURAL
5. HUMAN’S LIB

DISC FIVE: PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED AND REMASTERED TRACKS

1. NEW SONG (NEW FARMYARD MIX) *
2. ALWAYS ASKING QUESTIONS (FARMYARD MIX) *
3. EQUALITY (FARMYARD MIX) *
4. NEW SONG (NEW VERSION) ***
5. LOVE? (EARLY VERSION OF WHAT IS LOVE?) *
6. TAO TE CHING ***
7. CHANGE THE MAN ***
8. BOUNCE RIGHT BACK (LIVE AT THE MARQUEE) **
9. NEW SONG (EXTENDED)
10.IT JUST DOESN’T MATTER ***
11.DON’T ALWAYS LOOK AT THE RAIN (ROUGH MIX) *
12.NEW SONG (NEW MIX VERSION 2) *

KID JENSEN BBC SESSIONS

13.DON’T PUT THESE CURSES ON ME *
14.NATURAL *
15.NEW SONG *
16.HUMAN’S LIB *

* PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
** PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED DIGITALLY
*** PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED REMASTERED
 
[video=youtube;Me6j_rSv6vw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me6j_rSv6vw[/video]
release: October 11, 2019

Steve Miller Opens His Massive Archive For The First Time To Share His Treasures, with Welcome To The Vault

A Career Spanning 3 CD + DVD collection containing 52 audio tracks and 21 performances on DVD, with 38 previously unreleased recordings, including 5 compositions that have never been heard before, and featuring alternate versions of classic songs, live performances and more, housed in a 100 page hard bound book with Steve’s personal photos, and a 9,000 word essay by Rolling Stone’s David Fricke.

DVD contains 21 live performances including rare footage from the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert in 1973, ABC In Concert 1974, a 1970 concert from the Fillmore West filmed for Dutch TV, Pine Knob Michigan in 1982, Steve and Les Paul at Fat Tuesdays (1990) and Austin City Limits in 2011.

PLUS – Welcome To The Vault includes 10 Guitar picks with Steve’s iconic Pegasus logo and an authentic backstage pass from Steve’s personal vault.
[video=youtube;E5Wr23u0rdU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5Wr23u0rdU[/video]
[video=youtube;SMLKNFdOv1o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMLKNFdOv1o[/video]
[video=youtube;dRMHIMvbLKE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRMHIMvbLKE[/video]
 
Nat King Cole - Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)

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release: November 1, 2019

Released in partnership with the Nat King Cole estate, Resonance Records' HITTIN' THE RAMP: THE EARLY YEARS (1936-1943) is the first large-scale collection of the pivotal early recordings (1936-1943) of Nat's 29-year recording career, pre-Capitol Records. Most of the tracks are receiving their first official release in this meticulously restored set of original live-to-disk recordings.

This definitive 10LP & 7CD collection draws upon a wide range of sources, including newly-discovered tracks unearthed for the first time from archives located all over the world, such as "Trompin" (jukebox-only release for Cinematone, 1939), "What'cha Know Joe" (undocumented radio performance, 1940, now the earliest known recording of Nat "on the air"), "The Romany Room is Jumpin'" (private recording, 1941) and "Beautiful Moons Ago" (a longer alternate take, 1943). Sessions include Nat at age 17, playing piano in his brother's band in Chicago, 1936; the first King Cole Trio recordings (1938), made for radio broadcdast only, for the Standard Transcriptions; other radio transcription sessions for Standard, Davis & Schwegler, Keystone, plus his first (uncredited) MacGregor session, with vocalist Anita Boyer; Ammor Records Session (Spring 1940, the first commercial-release sessions for the trio), the Decca Recordings (1940-41), the small-label sessions for Excelsior and Premier labels (1943), many previously-uncirculating Armed Forces Radio performances, and, with producer Norman Granz at the helm, early jazz sessions with Lester Young (Granz historic, first session as a producer) and Dexter Gordon, originally released on Philo and Mercury.

Boasting an extensive 16-pg (LP) & 56-pg (CD) booklet with rare photographs; essays by acclaimed author Will Friedwald and guitarist Nick Rossi (with a special focus on Oscar Moore); plus interviews and testimonials from Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones, Freddy Cole, Harry Belafonte, John Pizzarelli, Michael Feinstein & more. [*LP & CD BOOKLETS INCLUDE SAME CONTENT]

Celebrate Nat King Cole's centennial in 2019 with this definitive early years multi-disc box set. This is the origin story of a great artist just as he was just "hittin' the ramp," launching a distinctive style that would quickly become famous the world over.
 
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50th Anniversary 180g Vinyl LP Reissue Half-Speed Mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios


Creedence Clearwater Revival is arguably the definitive American rock band. Hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area and borrowing heavily from the musical traditions of the Deep South, the gritty and powerful foursome served up a potent stew that appealed to a broad audience not just in the States but around the world. Their creative arc was relatively brief yet highly influential, and some five decades after their heyday, their straight ahead raw energy continues to echo in the rock and pop sounds of the modern day.

By the summer of 1969, the band was firmly ensconced as the American dance band, continuing to churn out hugely-successful hit singles, four of which are found here. The title cut "Green River," along with "Commotion," "Bad Moon Rising" and "Lodi," were Top Ten singles in the classic rockabilly/R&B tradition and together made Green River the group's first No. 1 album on the Billboard charts. As a result of the group's unrivaled penchant for developing tight, carefully crafted material before even entering the studio, CCR recorded Green River in an astounding two-and-a-half days, after which it remained on the charts for 88 weeks, earning the group its second platinum album.

This 50th anniversary edition has been mastered at half-speed at Abbey Road Studios, benefiting from an exacting process that allows for an exceptional level of sonic clarity and punch and brings the classic recording a new vibrancy. This audiophile-quality 180-gram vinyl LP comes housed in a handsome tip-on jacket replicating the packaging of the original pressing (previously only available as part of The Studio Albums Collection, 7-LP box set).

Features:
• Celebrating Creedence Clearwater Revival's 50th anniversary
• Pressed on audiophile-quality 180-gram vinyl LP
• Mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios using a special technique known as half-speed mastering; a painstaking process which results in superior sound quality
• Tip-on jacket replicating the packaging of the original pressing
 
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release: April 10, 2020

Cat Stevens' 1978 album Back to Earth – his final record under the ‘Cat Stevens’ moniker – will be reissued as an eight-disc super deluxe edition box set in April 2020.

The box set will features five CDs, two vinyl LPs, a blu-ray, a book and memorabilia. The first CD is the album remastered (at Abbey Road) and then, slightly bizarrely, the second disc is the non-remastered version of the same original mix of the album.

Additionally, you get a disc of largely previously unreleased tracks (including demos, live tracks and two ‘lost’ recordings), the Alpha Omega album Cat Stevens produced for his brother David Gordon in 1979 and eight tracks from the UNICEF Year Of The Child Concert at Wembley Arena in 1979. One of the previously unreleased (‘lost’) recordings is ‘Toy Heart’.

The two vinyl records repeat CDs 1 and 5 (album remaster and UNICEF Year of the Child Concert) while the blu-ray features video footage from that same UNICEF concert and the Back to Earth album in hi-res stereo (presumably the remaster).

As well as the hardcover book, this comes with posters, a fanzine and a replica press pack. If you just want the remaster and aren’t bothered about the box set then a rather swish coloured vinyl edition and CD were released back at the end of October.
[video=youtube;yEutZ3tZO8I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEutZ3tZO8I[/video]
 
Little Rascals preservation & restoration project on Blu Ray

Beloved by millions of film goers of all ages, and from all over the world -- Our Gang (The Little Rascals) is truly special. But as great as the Rascals are in terms of sheer entertainment, their presentations on home video or TV have always been lacking... but that is about to change. Check for updates at Indiegogo.
 
Re: Little Rascals preservation & restoration project on Blu Ray

Frequently Asked Questions

When your restorations are complete, will the shorts look like film and not overly scrubbed to remove grain, etc.?
We have a superior track record when it comes to our restorations, and that includes not "scrubbing" them to remove grain or the natural look of film. And even though our restorations will be far superior to any previously released versions, there will be occasional noticeable dirt, scratches, splotches, etc. because the poor condition of the film elements makes it impossible to remove all such anomalies without "scrubbing" them during the restoration process.

Will these shorts be released at a later date to major retail outlets?
Yes, they will be. First at ClassicFlix.com, then elsewhere. But we are planning special packaging for the Blu-ray (and possibly the DVD) for contributors to this project that won't be available when the release goes wide retail.

Will the shorts have optional subtitles?

Yes. All the shorts will feature optional English subtitles.

Why is a crowdfund necessary?
Almost all of the original Rascal sources available are all on volatile nitrate film stock which is deteriorating as every day goes by. All of the original audio elements we've tested thus far are unusable, so the more funds we can raise up front, the sooner these iconic shorts can be preserved without the risk of losing the best film elements forever. Additionally, by raising the necessary funds, we're able to more thoroughly seek out the best sources available to preserve and restore.

Will there be a second and/or third campaign to finish the preservation and restoration of the remaining Rascal sound shorts?

That depends on how much over our goal we go on this campaign and how the first volume is received when it goes retail. The more we go over our funding goal on this campaign means the sooner we can get out the subsequent volumes. The initial plan is for three volumes containing all 80 sound shorts, but that could be reduced to two volumes if this campaign raises well over the goal.

What will the funds be used for?
To preserve and restore the first 22 sound Rascal shorts. The budget could easily be twice as much ($140,000) as the film elements are in truly horrible condition. In most cases, the elements themselves are on nitrate film stock, around 90-years-old and have never been well-cared for. We're setting a modest budget of around $3,000 per short, and because of the processes we have in place, as well as being a small business with low overhead, we can produce restoration value with superior results.

What are the film sources for the restorations?

All will be from original Hal Roach 35mm film elements. Image restoration will mostly be from original nitrate film sources (some original negatives too) which have previously been unavailable. Unfortunately, all of the nitrate sound elements we've tested thus far have been so badly deteriorated, that they are unusable. Sound will be restored, but most likely from current digital sources or 2nd or 3rd generation elements, if available.

Will you eventually release the silent Rascal films?
We have licensed a good number of them plan to eventually release as many as we have access to and that survive. The timing depends on how fast we can move through the preservation and restoration of the sound shorts first.

Will the discs be region coded?
Yes, for North America.

Will the scans and/or restorations be done in 4K?
No. 4K scan and restoration work is a lot more costly than 2K. We will be scanning and restoring in 2K.
 
Soul’d Out - The Complete Wattstax Collection (12 CD box set)
release: February 24, 2023
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Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the iconic WATTSTAX concert that took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1972, Stax Records presents the most comprehensive collection of audio recordings from the event ever. This 12-CD set, features 31 previously unreleased tracks, with material from the Summit Club and other additional recordings. The 76-page, full-color book in the set also features, an introduction by Wattstax creator Al Bell, plus new essays by Rob Bowman and A. Scott Galloway.

DISC 1
1. Dale Warren & The Wattstax ’72 Orchestra – Salvation Symphony
2. Kim Weston – The Star Spangled Banner*
3. Tommy Jacquette & Jesse Jackson – Opening announcements
4. Kim Weston – Lift Every Voice and Sing
5. Melvin Van Peebles – We’re here to consecrate, not desecrate
6. The Staple Singers – Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom-Boom)
7. The Staple Singers – Are You Sure
8. The Staple Singers – I Like the Things About Me
9. The Staple Singers – Respect Yourself
10. The Staple Singers – I’ll Take You There

DISC 2
1. Tommy Jacquette & Richard Roundtree – Wattstax Day proclamation
2. Jimmy Jones – Somebody Bigger Than You and I
3. Louise McCord – Better Get a Move On
4. Deborah Manning – Precious Lord Take My Hand
5. Eric Mercury – I Shall Not Be Moved*
6. Freddie Robinson – At the Drive-In*
7. Lee Sain – Them Hot Pants
8. Ernie Hines – What Would I Do*
9. Little Sonny – Wade in the Water
10. William Bell – I Forgot to Be Your Lover
11. The Newcomers – Pin the Tail on the Donkey
12. Eddie Floyd – Knock on Wood
13. The Temprees – Explain It to Her Mama
14. Frederick Knight – I’ve Been Lonely for So Long
15. The Golden 13 – Old Time Religion
16. William Bell – Al Bell Award presentation
17. The Rance Allen Group – Lying on the Truth
18. The Rance Allen Group – Up Above My Head

DISC 3
1. William Bell – David Porter introduction
2. The David Porter Show – Introduction
3. David Porter – Ain’t That Loving You (For More Reasons Than One)
4. David Porter – Can’t See You When I Want To
5. David Porter – Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand)
6. William Bell – The Bar-Kays introduction
7. The Bar-Kays – Son of Shaft/Feel It
8. The Bar-Kays – In the Hole
9. The Bar-Kays – I Can’t Turn You Loose
10. William Bell – Tommy Tate introduction
11. Tommy Tate – I Remember*
12. William Bell – Please move back to the stands
13. Tommy Tate – Help Me Love*
14. Tommy Tate – School of Life*

DISC 4
1. William Bell & John Kasandra – Carla Thomas introduction
2. Carla Thomas – Pick Up the Pieces
3. Carla Thomas – I Like What You’re Doing (To Me)
4. Carla Thomas – B-A-B-Y
5. Carla Thomas – Gee Whiz
6. Carla Thomas – I Have a God Who Loves
7. John KaSandra – Albert King introduction
8. Albert King – Match Box Blues
9. Albert King – Got to Be Some Changes Made
10. Albert King – I’ll Play the Blues for You
11. Albert King – Killing Floor
12. Albert King – Angel of Mercy
13. John KaSandra – Rufus Thomas introduction
14. John KaSandra & Rufus Thomas – Rufus Thomas entrance
15. Rufus Thomas – The Breakdown
16. John KaSandra & Rufus Thomas – Kindly go back to your seats

DISC 5
1. Rufus Thomas – Do the Funky Chicken
2. Rufus Thomas – Do the Funky Penguin
3. Jesse Jackson – I am, somebody
4. The Soul Children – I Don’t Know What This World Is Coming To
5. The Soul Children – Hearsay
6. John KaSandra, Fred Williamson & Jesse Jackson – Let us stand and raise our fists together
7. Billy Eckstine – If I Can Help Somebody*
8. Billy Eckstine – There is a curfew here

DISC 6
1. Jesse Jackson – Isaac Hayes introduction
2. Isaac Hayes – Theme From Shaft (Version 1) *
3. Isaac Hayes – Theme From Shaft (Version 2)
4. Isaac Hayes – Soulsville
5. Isaac Hayes – Never Can Say Goodbye
6. Isaac Hayes – Part-Time Love*
7. Isaac Hayes – Your Love Is So Doggone Good
8. Isaac Hayes – Ain’t No Sunshine/Lonely Avenue
9. Isaac Hayes – I Stand Accused
10. Jesse Jackson – Let everybody stand and join hands
11. Jimmy Jones – If I Had a Hammer

DISC 7: LIVE AT THE SUMMIT CLUB (September 23, 1972)
1. Rufus Thomas – Rufus Thomas introduction*
2. Rufus Thomas – Comedy Set*
3. Rufus Thomas – Night Time Is the Right Time*

DISC 8: LIVE AT THE SUMMIT CLUB (September 23, 1972)
1. Rufus Thomas – Johnnie Taylor introduction
2. Johnnie Taylor – Take Care of Your Homework (Set 1)
3. Johnnie Taylor – Little Bluebird (Set 1)
4. Johnnie Taylor – Steal Away (Set 1)
5. Johnnie Taylor – I Don’t Wanna Lose You (Set 1)
6. Johnnie Taylor – Jody’s Got Your Girl and Gone (Set 1) *
7. Johnnie Taylor – Who’s Making Love (Set 2)
8. Johnnie Taylor – Hello Sundown (Set 2)
9. Johnnie Taylor – Steal Away (Set 2)
10. Johnnie Taylor – Stop Doggin’ Me (Set 2)
11. Johnnie Taylor – Jody’s Got Your Girl and Gone (Set 2)

DISC 9: LIVE AT THE SUMMIT CLUB (September 29, 1972)
1. Sons Of Slum – Think (About It) *
2. Sons Of Slum – Respect*
3. Sons Of Slum – The Man*
4. Sons Of Slum – Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone/Dance to the Music/Music Lover/I Want to Take You Higher*
5. The Emotions – So I Can Love You
6. The Emotions – Blind Alley*
7. The Emotions – Introductions
8. The Emotions – Show Me How
9. The Emotions – When Tomorrow Comes*
10. The Emotions – I Could Never Be Happy*

DISC 10: LIVE AT THE SUMMIT CLUB (October 4, 1972)
1. Little Milton – Open the Door to Your Heart
2. Little Milton – Let Me Down Easy
3. Little Milton – Grits Ain’t Groceries (All Around the World)
4. Little Milton – Blind Man
5. Little Milton – I Can’t Quit You Baby
6. Little Milton – That’s What Love Will Make You Do
7. Little Milton – Walking the Back Streets and Crying

DISC 11: LIVE AT THE SUMMIT CLUB (October 4, 1972)
1. Mel & Tim – Introduction*
2. Mel & Tim – Warm It Up*
3. Mel & Tim – Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) *
4. Mel & Tim – Groovy Situation*
5. Mel & Tim – Good Guys Only Win in the Movies*
6. Mel & Tim – Backfield in Motion/Starting All Over Again*
7. Mel & Tim – Friendship Train*

DISC 12: ADDITIONAL RECORDINGS
1. The Emotions – Peace Be Still (Rehearsal)*
2. The Emotions – Peace Be Still (Take 1)*
3. The Emotions – Peace Be Still (Take 2)
4. Isaac Hayes – Rolling Down a Mountainside
5. Isaac Hayes – Rolling Down a Mountainside (Alternate Version) *
6. The Staple Singers – Oh La De Da
7. Eddie Floyd – Lay Your Loving on Me
8. The Dramatics – Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get
9. Mel & Tim – I May Not Be What You Want
10. Richard Pryor – Saturday Night/Blue Note, Backroom
11. Richard Pryor – Arrest/Line-Up
12. Richard Pryor – Niggers
13. Richard Pryor – Negroes
14. Richard Pryor – Handshake
15. Richard Pryor – Wino Get a Job
* = Previously Unreleased
 

Official trailer. The 76 - page book looks like it's been nicely produced. :)
 
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